Utter Nonsense
by Olivia Brooks
Summary: Andromeda Carrins is best mates with Oliver Wood, but even she has to admit that he's a maniac. Oliver/OFC. Totally cliche, but hopefully fun?
1. Andy is a Bully?

_Disclaimer: Not mine, except Andy. Oh, and the plot is also mine._

_Additional Disclaimer: No burly Quidditch men had their feelings hurt in the making of this fanfic.  
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_Crack_. The sound of something breaking woke Andromeda Carrins up at exactly four o' clock. This pissed her off for two reasons.

One, she would be getting up in approximately two hours, and she savored every extra moment of sleep.

Two, it was four o' clock in the _bloody _morning!

"Whoever is making that noise, had better shut up as quickly as possible," she yelled, burrowing deeper into her blankets.

"And if I don't?" Andy recognized the voice as Alicia Spinnet.

"Then I will be forced to hex you into oblivion."

"And risk the wrath of Wood for hexing his star players? I think not." This voice was Katie Bell. This confused Andy as Katie was a year younger and stayed in her own dorm.

Andy peeked out of her cave of blankets, and found Alicia, Katie, Angelina Johnson, and Rasputin sitting on Alicia's bed.

"Even your cat is against you, Andy," Katie said, "Face it, you're outnumbered."

Andy considered grousing for a bit longer, but the warmth of her bed seemed to have faded, so she threw off her blankets and stomped to the bathroom.

When she came back out, the four were still on Alicia's bed.

"What is so important that we had to wake up at four in the morning?" asked Andy, slumping down on Alicia's bed, and pushing her cat off. Rasputin _mrow_ed angrily, but made no move to get back on the bed.

"Wood made us new handbooks," said Alicia, pointing absently at a leather book sitting on her end table.

"If it's so important that you have to be up at four, then why aren't you even reading it?" asked Andy. She hesitated for a moment before grabbing the book, wondering what possible new tortures Oliver Wood had managed to come up with,

Alicia huffed and gestured down at the paper that Katie was slowly writing something on.

"Don't be daft, Andy, we've already skimmed through it," said Angelina, interrupting Alicia. Alicia didn't seem to mind, though, as she was whispering something to Katie. Katie giggled and quickly wrote on the parchment.

"Ah," said Andy, "So we're writing a strongly worded letter to Wood? _That _I am up for."

"Good. Look through the book and tell us if there's anything worth criticizing in it," said Angelina, tapping the cover of the book with one finger, "We're nearly done with the letter, but another pair of eyes won't hurt."

Andy grunted her consent--in a very ladylike manner, I assure you--and began looking through the pages for something to mock Wood about.

It wasn't that she hated Wood--far from it, as they'd been best mates since her second year--but he was so incredibly serious about Quidditch that it was always exquisitely fun to ruffle his feathers.

When she found a passage that she particularly enjoyed she'd alert Katie, and Katie would write it down. Finally, after about a half an hour they'd gotten through the entire book and after a few revisions, were adequately pleased with the letter.

"All right, then," said Alicia, folding up the letter and placing it into an envelope. "Who is going to go to the owlery and send it off?"

Instead of just handing it to Wood, or placing it in his dormitory, the girls always mailed it because this assured that they could be as far away as possible when he received it.

"I volunteer Andy!" said Katie. Andy turned to her to glower, but before she could, Alicia was thrusting the letter into her hands and pushing her off the bed.

"Excuse me, but why do I always have to do this?" asked Andy.

"Because, you are least likely to be blasted away by Wood if he catches you," said Angelina.

"No, no, this is not true! Wood wouldn't blast any of his team members this close to a game," protested Andy.

"There's no accounting for Wood's actions when he's upset," said Angelina. Alicia nodded.

"But he's least likely to attack his seeker," she said, "Merlin knows how hard a good seeker is to find."

There was a pause. Then Andy sighed. "Is protesting going to help at all?"

"Nope!" said Katie. She stood up and shoved Andy towards the door, "Have fun!"

Andy muttered something suspiciously like, "I'm going to kill you all." but she walked down the stairs towards the common room.

She was just crossing across the room when she noticed a dark figure sitting in the chair closest to the fire. At first, Andy thought the person was asleep, but then she noticed fingers carefully drumming against the armrest of the chair.

_Bollocks_! Andy thought _Well, perhaps he hasn't spotted me._

To test this theory, Andy made her way towards the Fat Lady, hoping to not alert the figure of her presence.

Unfortunately, as she was about to move her foot, the figure stood up, and crossed the room.

"Andy, what could _possibly _bring you to the common room this early?" asked Oliver. Andy winced at the sarcasm in his voice, and hastily shoved the letter into the back pocket of her jeans. Ever since Katie had introduced the marvelous pants to her the previous summer, she'd been wearing a pair nonstop.

"Hullo, Wood!" said Andy. She tried to force some cheerfulness into her voice, "Oh, you know, I just thought I'd, uh, go out for a walk."

"At four thirty?"

"Well, you know, I haven't been getting enough exercise lately," said Andy. One of Oliver's eyebrows rose.

"You have Quidditch practice every morning, and you aren't getting enough exercise?" asked Oliver.

"Yes, well, not everyone can be so easily fit, Wood," said Andy. She tried to huff, but by the height of Oliver's eyebrow, she doubted she did very well. "Now, if you'll excuse me?"

Andy walked towards the door, hoping she was scot-free. Then, she felt a hand on the back of her pants.

Andy quickly whirled around, desperately trying to grab the letter back from Oliver. Unfortunately, Oliver was taller, and he held it above his head, effectively keeping it from her.

"Oliver Wood! You just grabbed my bum! That is sexual harassment, and after you give me my...uh, my letter back, I'm going to report you to Dumbledore!"

"Are you now?" Oliver asked. He looked supremely amused, and Andy had the sudden urge to punch him in the face. She felt this might get her kicked off the Quidditch team, however, so she opted not to. "Well, if I'm going to get in trouble anyway, I might as well read this, don't you think?"

"Wood, really, there's no need to. I--if you give the letter back, I promise I won't tell Dumbledore that you touched me!" Andy was desperate now. She knew Oliver was in a good mood now, but his moods changed quicker than anyone's she'd ever met. Honestly, if she wasn't positive he was a boy, she'd have guessed that he was on the rag 24/7.

Holding the letter high above Andy's reach, Oliver carefully unsealed it. He handed the envelope to Andy, and unfolded the letter.

"Dear Wood--oi, what a surprise, it's for me--we, the females currently on your Quidditch team, are writing you to complain about the handbook that has recently been bestowed to us," read Oliver. He trailed off then, and read it silently.

Occasionally he'd read something aloud to Andy, "'We especially enjoy rule number seventy-two, where you limit any actions between team members to strictly off the field, seeing as you were clearly checking out Angelina's bum last week'--strange, I remember being curious as to why Angelina was wearing seeker's pants when she's so very clearly not the seeker. Could it be she was afraid I would make her do laps when I found out that she'd forgotten her own pants?"

Or "'There seems to be a bit of confusion on rule eighty-nine. You see, you've put that any comments that are not strictly helpful concerning another members playing are to be forbidden. Only, just the other day you told Andy that her seeking was utter shite, and that she needed at least two hours more practice that day' What a weird thing, Andy, seeing as, if I remember correctly, that was the day that you thought it would be funny to play upside down, and you fell off your broom at least four times. It's odd, wouldn't you agree?"

Andy thought herself lucky. Oliver seemed to be in a good enough mood that he might not punish them. Finally, he read the last line.

"'In conclusion, we are concerned that perhaps you've forgotten to abide by your own rules. In the future, perhaps you should be less of a dictator, and more of a captain. Love, Alicia, Angelina, Andy, and Katie'," said Oliver. There was silence for several minutes. Then Oliver looked up at Andy, "Well, by my calculations, there are at least eight lines here that blatantly call me a bad captain, and several that allude to me being some kind of sexual fiend. Although the latter is not strictly against the rules, I believe I'll count it. So, that'd be...thirty-laps, four killers, and..oh! calling me a dictator is against the rules, too. All right, then, thirty laps, four killers, and each of you is going to spend an hour of the next Hogsmeade weekend practicing."

Andy stared at Oliver. She was sure she looked like an idiot, standing there with her mouth hanging wide open, but at the moment she didn't really care. Laps were bad, killers were even worse, but cutting into their Hogsmeade time? That...that was pure evil!

"Wood, you can't be serious!"

"Every one of you will be doing thirty-two laps and four killers, and you will each spend an hour of Hogsmeade time practicing with me," said Oliver. He had a pleasant smile on his face. "Unless one of you wishes to quit the team. Then, you would be free from any punishment. Do any of you?"

Andy gritted her teeth. "You know we don't."

Oliver smiled. "Good, then I look forward to seeing you all at practice. You'll be coming earlier...I'd say you should be getting to the pitch at about six."

At that, Oliver handed the letter back to Andy, and began making his way back to his dorm.

"Some kind of friend you are!" Andy cried. Oliver turned around. There was a thoughtful look on his face.

"If I'm a bad friend, then what does that make you, Andy? You're the one who wrote a letter explaining all of my faults."

Andy blanched. She hadn't ever actually thought of it that way. "Sorry, Oliver."

At this, Oliver grinned at her. "And that's why you'll never, ever be a good captain. You care too much about other people's feelings. G'night."

Andy made her way back up to the dorm room, letter in hand. She had the urgent feeling that something important had just happened, but she couldn't figure out what.

When she reached the door, Andy stopped. When she got inside, she'd have to tell the girls about their punishment. They wouldn't be happy.

Andy fidgeted a bit longer. Then, with a sigh, she turned the door handle, and opened up the door.

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Author's Note: Sooo, how is it? Reviews are much appreciated! Do you like Andy? Is something off? Any fun quotes, or very un-fun quotes? Anything. _Really._


	2. Andy is a Brilliant Flier!

Disclaimer: This whole world belongs to Jo, I just like to play games with her characters.

**Warning!: Just in case you didn't get it, this story is AU. Harry exists in it, but he ISN'T the Seeker, and he's basically known to the characters as the twins' little brothers mate. Awesome.**  


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"Oi! Angelina! Your bum looks great today!" For the past half hour, Fred Weasley had been making such comments, and though normally Andy probably would just have laughed at him, today she was in the mood for something a little more violent.

Actually, Andy was a bit surprised that Angelina wasn't doing anything. Angelina--known to many as Angelina-of-the-Very-Bad-Temper--was simply running her laps, not paying any attention at all to how entirely piggish Fred was being. Andy was also surprised by Alicia, but she figured Alicia was too busy listening to her boyfriend praise her own butt to care very much.

Just as Andy was about to do something--perhaps a bat-bogey hex--Fred let out a surprised yelp. Angelina hadn't even paused, and she didn't look back when she said. "Oh look, it seems Fred's grown a bit. Might want to get your trousers refitted, _prat._"

"You did this, Angel?" asked Fred. "Merlin, woman, if that was supposed to scare me off it did _not _work. You are even more brilliant than I thought."

"Prat," muttered Angelina. Still, when Andy looked over, she had a stupid grin on her face.

"I don't even want to know," muttered a voice. Andy recognized it as her captain--read dictator--and absolute _bloody _worst enemy--read best mate--Oliver _Bleeding _Woods. "Alright, girls, that's enough for today!"

Angelina, Alicia, and Katie let out three identical sighs of relief. Andy, however did not stop. She wondered briefly how long it would take Oliver to notice. That thought, however, was quickly chased away by _ow, ow, ow, bloody buggering hell I hate killers!_

Oliver, it turned out, noticed quite quickly. "Oi, Carrins, you're done."

"No," Andy managed, "M'not. I still have two killers left to do."

"It's fine. Just come over here, we need to talk about our upcoming match against the 'Puffs." Oliver waved Andy over, but she didn't come. Oliver had ordered her to do four killers, and that meant she would do four killers.

"No. My captain ordered me to do four killers, and I've only done two. Therefore, it is only logical that I do two more," said Andy. She imagined Oliver had his _Merlin Andy you are so bloody difficult why do I even put up with you maybe it's because I'm so charitable_ look on. Andy _hated _that look, but she loved pushing Oliver until he put it on.

"Well, Carrins, now your captain is ordering you to get your arse over here, so get over here."

"Not until I'm done," muttered Andy. Even as far away as Oliver was, Andy could hear him sigh.

"_Merlin and Morgana, if you weren't such a bloody good Seeker you'd be off the team by now. _Fine! But _hurry_!" Andy had to resist pumping her fists in jubilation. Mentally, she added a check to her scoreboard and gloated at Oliver's big ol' zero.

Finally, when Andy was done with her killers, she jogged over to where the rest of her team was. Fred was fidgeting, Angelina was snickering, and Alicia and George were holding hands. And Oliver was paying them not an ounce of attention, as he was going on about this _brilliant _new play he had.

Andy wasn't paying much attention--Oliver had said something about brooms perhaps?--and it was only when he was finished talking that she looked up.

It seemed the others had not paid Oliver any attention, either, as when he was done talking, Alicia and George dropped hands, Angelina put on her serious face, and Katie pretended that she hadn't just been checking out Fred's bum.

"Oh, you're absolutely correct," said Fred.

"It's a brilliant play," continued George.

"Best I've ever heard, even," agreed Angelina.

"Genius, maybe," said Katie.

"We'll definitely beat Hufflepuff with that play," said Alicia.

As Oliver stood there, preening, Andy had to bite back a laugh. She wasn't quite suicidal enough to make fun of Oliver while he was in Quidditch mode, she also didn't feel like she could play nice. So, she opted for her third choice: staying as bloody quiet as she could.

"So, now that we've got that all down," began Oliver, "I'm thinking practice is in order."

"Chasers, we'll start with you first. Get on your brooms, I'll be there in a minute." Angelina, Katie, and Alicia nodded to Oliver and started flying.

"Fred, George, you two practice a bit, I'll be with you after I finish with the girls." George got on his broom and lifted off, but Fred hesitated.

"I have…I have to wear these?" he whispered, gesturing down to his trousers. Oliver turned to Andy and smirked before answering.

"Is that a problem? Because I'd hate to have to ask Angelina why she shrunk your pants," said Oliver. Fred's eyes widened--he'd obviously read the new handbook--and he nodded quickly before getting on his broom and joining George.

"What should I do?" asked Andy. Oliver stared at her for a minute before shrugging.

"Dunno…maybe try seeking?"

"'Maybe try seeking'?" asked Andy. "What kind of advice is that, oh captain-y one?"

"Well, I don't know! Do whatever you seekers do, okay? Honestly, I don't care what you do as long as you win us the game." Oliver paused. "D'you think that's a bad thing?"

At the earnest look on Oliver's face, Andy couldn't help but laugh. "I think it's fine. I'll go "try seeking" and you can yell at the others." Andy leaned in conspiratorially. "Don't worry, I won't tell them that you want to win."

Oliver smirked at Andy before flying off towards the Chasers. Andy watched him for a moment, before flying off herself, intent on learning a feint her mum had tried to teach her that summer. It was difficult work, but by the time Quidditch practice was over, Andy had successfully learned the move.

So, she was feeling a bit happier than usual when she went into the changing room to dry off. She'd finished after the rest of the team, like usual, and most of the lights were dim when she got in. Andy stripped down to just her knickers and bra, and was about to move over to the shower area, when she heard giggling. It sounded like a girl, but not any of the ones on her Quidditch team, which meant one of the boys had brought a girl in. Since this was strictly against code--and against Alicia if it was George--Andy decided to go over to whoever it was and chew them out.

Normally, Andy didn't care very much whether the boys saw her in a bra, as it was just the twins and Oliver, but she hadn't been able to find a bra that morning, so she was wearing one of Angelina's lacy things, and it didn't cover much. So, Andy grabbed her shirt and, while holding it over her chest, she tiptoed towards the showers, where the giggling seemed to be coming from.

The first three stalls were empty, and for a second Andy thought she might have been imagining it--she was a bit mad, you see--when it came again, and this time the words, "Oh, Oliver!" came with it.

Feeling a bit like she was watching a train wreck that she couldn't take her eyes away from, Andy swiveled her head just left to find Oliver, pressing some bird up against the wall, and feasting on her mouth like his life depended on it. The bird was blonde, and Andy felt like she was a Hufflepuff, but she wasn't positive. Whatever house she was in, she was making these breathy noises, and she kept giggling, and suddenly Andy couldn't take it anymore. As quietly as she could, she made her way back to her clothes, pulled them on and, not caring how sweaty and smelly she probably was, she made her way up to the tower to get ready for classes.

Luckily, she didn't have any classes that day where she was partnered with Oliver, and she wouldn't have to try not to imagine the blonde bint's noises whenever he was around her.

Of course, Andy felt a bit of a squeeze in her chest region, but she explained it away at being upset that Oliver had deemed her worthy of knowing he had a new bird that he was snogging. Really, she reasoned, that was the only explanation. She was just upset that her best mate wasn't telling her things.

After all, what else would explain it?

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Author's Note: First off, I would like to state that I suck. I honestly HATE when people leave stories hanging like that, and I'm ridiculously embarrassed for having done so. Because of that, I'll be posting two chapters today. The first is, obviously, this one, and the second should be up shortly. Again, sorry! I hope you can forgive me!

Please?


	3. Andy is Brazen!

**Andy's Second Year—Oliver's Third Year**

_For as long as anyone can recall, the Carrins have been Quidditch players. In fact, eight of Andy's ten uncles were Quidditch players, and both aunts. Her father played for the Cannons, and her mum for the Harpies. It was just naturally expected that Andy would play too. Which wasn't a problem, as Andy loved Quidditch to begin with._

_Still, it didn't help much for her nerves when she got letters from nearly every relative she had asking if she was going to try out for her second year. She was going to, of course, but now that everyone knew, __not__making it on the team was not an option. It would be completely humiliating, and Andy didn't take well to humiliation._

_She was going out for Seeker, against another second year, three fourth years, and a sixth year. Andy felt sure none of the them were as good as her, but she also knew that she had a tendency to bollocks things up when she was too confident, or too nervous, and at the moment she was swinging wildly between the two._

_Which might explain her response to a third year grabbing her shoulder, and saying, "Oi! Calm down, girly, you look like you're about to have a sprog."_

_Andy whirled around, slapped the boy in the face, then cried, "I'm fine! Do I look like I'm preggers? I'm going to be Seeker! My mum said I looked fine."_

_The boy blinked his brown eyes once before laughing. "Merlin, you look more nervous than the other players did when they found out the little second year they're going against was a Carrin."_

_Andy looked at the other people trying out for Seeker. They didn't seem too nervous to her. "They look fine."_

_"Trust me, they were worse a few minutes ago," said the boy. He raised an eyebrow. "Personally, I don't see what the big problem is. You're just a second year, and not a very menacing one at that."_

_Andy snorted; this shrimp of a boy had the nerve to say__she__wasn't menacing? What a git. "I'm a__Seeker,__you idiot. If I was some bulky hulk of a thing, then I wouldn't exactly fit the part, would I?"_

_He looked taken aback for a moment, before grinning. "I like you. Name's Oliver Wood." He stuck out a hand, which Andy took after a moment. There was a pause. "This is where you introduce yourself."_

_"I'm Andromeda Carrins, but you can call me Andy," said Andy. She shook her head. "No, actually, you__will__call me Andy. Andromeda is just…" Andy trailed off and made a face._

_Oliver laughed. "Awful? Terrible? A name guaranteeing your child will be made fun of?"_

_"Shut up, it's a family name!" protested Andy, even though she agreed on the inside. Her mother's name was Celia, a perfectly nice name. Heck, even Riddick, her father's name, wasn't so bad._

_"D'you think you'll be made Seeker?" asked Oliver. He'd tilted his head to the side a bit, and it highlighted the fact that he had rather large ears; of course, his ridiculously short hair probably didn't help much._

_"'Course I will. I'm brilliant, you'll see." Andy placed one hand defiantly on her hips. "That is,__if__you make the team."_

_"Oi! I've already made the team," said Oliver. His puffed his chest out. "I'm Keeper!"_

_"You're on the team already?" asked Andy. Had she been so wrapped up in the proceedings that she hadn't even noticed part of the team had already been chosen? Then, she vaguely remembered seeing this boy at the games last year. "How's the captain? I heard he's a total dictator."_

_"Dictator?" asked Oliver. His face screwed up. "What d'you mean?"_

_"You know; constantly telling others exactly what they have to do, making up crazy rules because he can, basically being awful."_

_"Oh…isn't that what a captain is supposed to do?" he asked. He shook his head. "That's how all the captains are, I'm told." He leaned in. "In fact, I heard that the Slytherin captain makes his team run four killers before and after practice, every time. And, he won't let them eat anything but protein shakes before games, because he thinks they'll perform badly otherwise."_

_Andy's eyes widened; she'd had a protein shake of her mother's once and it had tasted nearly as vile as her father's cooking. "That's awful," she whispered. "No wonder no one wants to be in Slytherin."_

_Oliver snorted. "I don't think that's the reason, girly."_

_Andy was about to reply with an utterly brilliant retort, when the Gryffindor captain whistled. "Alright, anyone who is interested in the position of Seeker, come here!"_

_As Andy straddled her broom and prepared to fly to where the captain was, Oliver called out, "Good luck!"_

_"Please," Andy replied, "luck is for pansies and Slytherins. I've got__talent__."_

_Then she was off, and the rest is, as they say, history.

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Author's Note: Okay, I figured I didn't exactly want to rush the next chapter, as I'm pretty sure it will be fairly long, but I did promise another chapter soon, so here is Andy and Oliver's first meeting. For some reason, I imagine Oliver as a totally goofy looking third year with dumbo ears...a bit strange, yeah?

**Edited to add year of flashback.**


	4. Andy is Blind!

_Disclaimer: Not mine, all Jo's._

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That night at dinner, Oliver was the last to show up. Naturally, no one waited for him, and Andy doubted that any of the others found his absence odd. He could sometimes be found out on the pitch, flying instead of eating. It was a bit unhealthy, but it kept him relatively calm, and the entire team appreciated that.

Still, with the news of his new bird still firmly at the forefront of Andy's mind, she was on edge throughout dinner, wondering just what exactly the two were doing. Disgusting, awful, terrible thoughts kept flitting through her brain, and only a few minutes into dinner, she felt her appetite waning. She chalked this up to guilt that none of the others knew about Oliver's new girlfriend.

"Attention," said Andy—not loud enough for anyone else to hear, but loud enough. George and Fred continued eating, but Alicia, Angelina, and Katie all stopped and stared at her; waiting. She continued in a sing-song voice. "Guess who I caught in a compromising position in the Quidditch room!"

For a second before Andy went on, Alicia and George both went very pink and they exchanged nervous glances. Andy shuddered. "Ew, no, gross. Whatever you two were up to, I luckily did not see. I was referring to Oliver and his new girl."

Angelina groaned. "_Another _one? Merlin, what is this, the fifteenth one this year?"

"Sixteenth," corrected Katie. She rolled her eyes, "I swear if that boy were any more of a slag, he'd be getting paid for it."

"Who says he isn't?" asked Fred, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. He and George smirked. Angelina smirked, too, but it quickly turned into a frown when her eyes flicked to something past Andy's head.

"The train is coming into the station at…crap, I was never good at this…six o' clock?"

Andy turned her head to see Oliver and the blonde from before striding towards them. The blonde was clutching tightly to Oliver's arm, and she wore a smug grin on her face. Andy figured this had something to do with the fact that the shirt Oliver was wearing was buttoned incorrectly, and the girl's blouse was inside out. When Oliver caught Andy's eye, he gave her a satisfied grin, much like the look Rasputin had when he managed to catch the toy mouse he loved.

"Hello all," said Oliver when he reached the table, "This is Bailey. Bailey, this is all."

Bailey giggled. "Hey there!"

Oliver grinned back at Bailey, before shoving Andy good-naturedly. "Move over, shortstuff. Make some room."

Andy rolled her eyes, but complied, scooting over until there was just enough room for Oliver and Bailey to fit. Oliver slumped down next to Andy, squishing into her when Bailey pushed in on his other side. When Andy's hipbone poked into Oliver's side, he winced.

"Merlin, Andy, you need to eat something," he said, grabbing hold of her side. "This is a bloody lethal weapon."

Andy rolled her eyes once more when Oliver let go—she seemed to be doing that a lot in his presence lately. "Oliver, I'm a Seeker. As a captain, you should be telling me to lose weight."

"Well, I could tell you that, only you'd become too tiny to touch," Oliver began, grinning wickedly at Andy, "and then I wouldn't be able to do this." He grabbed hold of Andy's sides and squeezed, sending her into the air with a shriek. "Tell me, where would the fun in that be?"

When Andy was settled again, she glared at Oliver. "Arse," she muttered. He grinned at her again before turning to Bailey. They began chatting about something highly irrelevant, and Andy turned back to her food.

Suddenly, George stopped eating. His fork and knife clattered when they hit his plate, but he appeared to be too busy staring at Oliver to care. "Hey, Wood, d'you know what I _really _don't like?"

"Uh, no," said Oliver. He looked mighty confused, as did his bird—Andy rarely remembered their names, as she would just have to learn a new one the next week.

"Trains," said George, and Andy had to stifle a laugh. But he wasn't done. "Honestly, they're all slow, and full of hot air, and really, most of the time they have no clue what they're talking about."

"George," Oliver began slowly, "trains can't talk."

George nodded, as if Oliver had just agreed with him. "Exactly, they shouldn't be able to, right? I mean, my dad always says—"

"'Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain'," continued Fred. "But what should you do if you doubt the very existence of a brain in something that thinks for itself?"

Oliver stared at the twins for a good long moment before leaning close to Andy and whispering, "Did you lot partake in the usage of drugs before I got here?"

Oliver's breath was warm and wet and Andy shivered slightly before replying. "I don't see what you mean, _Olly_, I think what they're saying is perfectly sensible."

Oliver frowned, but said nothing. For a second, Andy thought he was going to make a comment, but then he turned back to Bailey. "Are you done, then, love?"

Bailey giggled again. "Of course!"

Oliver got up to go to wherever he went with his birds, but Bailey didn't stand. She looked puzzled for a moment before smiling a saccharine smile. "Go on without me, Olly, I'll just be a minute."

Oliver nodded his consent, and walked away, leaving Andy and the rest of the team with his newest girly. She watched Oliver leave before leaning into Andy. "If you as much as think about my Olly in a way that isn't strictly platonic, I'll hex you so hard you won't be able to see straight, much less catch a Snitch." She smiled beatifically. "Keep that in mind, _shortstuff._"

Before Andy could reply, Bailey was bouncing off after Oliver. Andy turned back to the team, who were staring at her with matching surprised expressions.

George was the first to speak. "Did she just _threaten _you?"

"I'm going to hex _her _so hard she can't see straight!" exclaimed Fred, making to stand up. Luckily, Angelina's hand on his arm stopped him.

"Look, hexing her is _not _a viable solution, right Andy?" She looked to Andy desperately, and Andy nodded.

"It would only get you in trouble." Andy sighed. "Whatever. It's not like she'll have reason to make good on her threat." Just thinking about it made Andy grin. "Could you imagine? _Me _fancying _Oliver_. It's ridiculous."

"Right. Ridiculous," said Alicia, giving Angelina a look. Angelina returned it, rolling her eyes and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "Not sure which is thicker." Andy was about to ask her what she meant, but she continued on.

"Anyway, on a completely new topic," she began. Andy tuned her out, focusing instead on Oliver's new bird. Honestly, sometimes he had the worst taste in girls. It was a wonder he managed to stay with them as long as he did—a week with that kind of girl would rot most people's brains.

Really, it was preposterous for that girl to even suggest that Andy would have thoughts like that about her captain.

Right?

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Author's Note: Hello! I don't really have much to say, except: Reviewing is ever so much appreciated! Ta!


	5. Andy is Belligerent!

Disclaimer: All but Andy are J.K.'s. This isn't gaining me any profit, so...pretty please don't sue?

* * *

The next day, when Andy made her way down to the dormitory after getting ready, she found Fred, George, and Oliver talking about something. Oliver looked pissed, and the twins both looked smug. Andy wondered what they had been talking about, but they soon distracted her by mocking her bed head (which, to be fair, _was _rather horrid) and after a while she didn't remember it at all.

At breakfast, Oliver sat next to Andy. He didn't talk though, and from what Andy could tell, he was watching the door. Probably waiting for his bird, Andy figured. That was a bit different from usual, seeing as how Oliver generally treated his girlfriends like they were only good for snogging—which truth be told, Andy wasn't sure was false about some of them.

When Bailey sauntered into the Great Hall, Oliver got to his feet. He didn't look happy, though, and Andy assumed they'd had a fight or something. Still, Bailey looked perfectly fine, and even smiled sweetly when she saw Oliver standing. When she got over to him, she placed a hand on his shoulder, and opened her mouth as if to say something.

Before she could, though, Oliver said, "We're over."

For a second, Bailey just stood there, mouth gaping open and closed, looking quite like a fish. Andy would have laughed if she weren't so surprised; Oliver's girls usually lasted at least a couple of days. Besides that, this chick was prettier than most. It was strange that she could last such a short time.

Even more surprising was that, when Bailey recovered, she launched herself at Andy. Oliver had to restrain her, and even then, Bailey still struggled. "It's because of her, isn't it? She's not even pretty! How could you leave me for her?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Bailey. Andy had nothing to do with this," said Oliver. Even though it was true, Andy was a bit stung. Why was it so ridiculous that she might have stolen Oliver from Bailey? When Andy caught herself thinking this, she immediately began chastising the stupid voice in her head. Obviously she wasn't _upset _that Oliver hadn't broken up with Bailey for her. "The reason I'm breaking up with you is because you are a hag."

Oliver glanced at the twins, who were grinning, and suddenly Andy remembered what she'd walked in on that morning. Obviously they'd been talking about this. Oliver continued. "I heard about what you said to Andy yesterday. My team is my family, and _no one _threatens my family and gets away with it." There was a pause where Bailey just stared vehemently at the twins, then Oliver spoke again. "We don't want you here; go back to your own table, and leave us alone."

With that, Oliver released Bailey, who promptly stalked off to the Slytherin table—not a Hufflepuff, then—and sat there, glaring, for the rest of breakfast. Her blue eyes were mere slits, and hadn't her mother told her that her face would stick like that if she kept it up?

Oliver sat down once Bailey was seated, giving a mere grin to the twins before eating his food as if nothing had even happened.

Then again, reflected Andy as she finished her toast, Oliver broke up with girls so often, that maybe for him it was like nothing had.

* * *

Later, in the common room, when Andy was writing a Charms essay, and Oliver was playing chess with George's little brother, Ron, he turned to her.

"You know, she was wrong," he said. Andy's face screwed up in confusion, and Oliver elaborated. "You're very pretty.

Then, he turned back to his game, and proceeded to lose spectacularly to the third year. It was rather funny, actually, and Andy laughed about it with Ron until Oliver began pouting. Then, after assuring Oliver that Ron had totally cheated, Andy went up to bed. The incident was a faint memory by morning, and it was a long time before Andy thought of it again.

It just didn't seem that important; Oliver was known to give compliments frequently and without notice as to who they were given to. Just the other day, he'd told a second year that she had a beautiful singing voice. The second year had blushed profusely and stammered something incoherent before rushing away.

So, really, Andy thought, it didn't mean much at all.

* * *

Two days later was a day that nearly every student in the school looked forward to. It was a Saturday, and this particular Saturday was a Hogsmeade Saturday.

Naturally, Angelina and Alicia were going with the twins—though Angelina swore vehemently that she didn't like Fred—and Katie was going with a Hufflepuff in her year. Andy herself was going with Malcolm Preece, a rather handsome Hufflepuff in her own year. He seemed nice enough, and when he asked her if she wanted to go with him, she didn't hesitate to say yes.

So, when she made her way to the common room that morning, Andy was in a particularly good mood. She stayed that way even when Katie pointed out that if she'd worn blue instead of green it would highlight her eyes better. She even stayed that way when Oliver reminded them that they would be meeting with him for an hour each.

Her mood, however, dissipated when Oliver showed them the schedule. Katie was to go first, at noon; Alicia was next at one; Angelina was third, at two; and Andy was--

"Wait, what? Oliver, you know that I'm supposed to be meeting Malcolm at three. You were with me when he asked me out!" said Andy. Oliver had an innocent expression on, but there was obvious amusement in his eyes, and Andy could feel her blood begin to boil.

"Was I? Funny, I don't remember that. Oh well, not to fret; I'm sure Preece will be able to meet earlier."

"You know he won't, you prat," hissed Andy. "He has Prefect duties until then."

"Hey now, don't get so upset. Surely you'll have a few hours after that? I mean, we don't have to be back until what? Eight? That leaves you with four hours still."

"Don't even pretend you didn't know that I had _my _Prefectular duties at six." Andy gritted her teeth and tried to restrain herself from hexing the obnoxious prat that she _thought_ was her best friend. "Merlin, Oliver, it's like you don't want me to go on this date at all!"

Almost immediately, Oliver's eyes lost their humor. "Why wouldn't I want you to go on this date?"

Andy threw her hands up. "How should I know? How could anyone ever know what goes on in that utterly mad mind of yours?"

"I don't expect you to like it, Andromeda, but you _are _going to be there today, otherwise you're off this team. I don't care how good of a Seeker you are; I won't allow a slacker on _my _team."

"That's just the problem with you, isn't it? It's a team, Oliver; it isn't just about you," said Andy. Her heart was beating wildly out of control, and she knew she was too mad to be making decisions, but when she got like this all logic receded far into a dark corner of her brain. "And you know what? Damned if I'm going to be on a team that you captain."

"What are you saying?" Oliver looked confused now, and it was just enough for Andy to continue.

"I thought that would be perfectly obvious, Wood. If you're so ready to throw me off the team, then I'll save you the hassle," said Andy. For a second her eyes flickered to Alicia and Angelina who were sitting near her with horrified expressions on their faces, but even that couldn't stop her from saying the next two words.

Andy looked Oliver straight in the eye and growled out something she _knew _she'd be regretting come morning—or probably sooner.

"I quit."

* * *

Author's Note: Hullo! Fancy seeing you all here! Well, I'm just going to say the usual...I hope you like it, please review, I'll love you forever, yada yada yada.


	6. Andy is Bruised!

**Disclaimer: These are not my characters--save Andy, though in this particular chappy, I'm not so sure I _want _to claim her.

* * *

**

Andy was woken up, quite rudely, once more. This time, it was nearing six o' clock, and the person who woke her up was actually _trying_, but the effect was the same.

"Leave me 'lone, or I'll murder your fam'ly," she muttered, rolling over to her other side. The hand that was poking her continued on.

"Andy, get your arse up, or you'll be late to Quidditch," barked Angelina. Andy rolled back over and glared belligerently at the tall girl.

"Angelina," she said slowly, "what part of 'I quit' did you not understand? I did think I'd made it rather clear, but with the way Wood was looking at me, I thought for a moment I might have said 'My skivvies are made of bananas, and on a completely unrelated note I've been banned from the zoo'."

Angelina rolled her eyes. "Andy, you obviously didn't mean what you said, so get your bum up and ready. Else Wood is going to seriously kick your arse. He'll make you run killers, and you _hate _killers."

Andy ignored Angelina and buried her face in her pillow. There was a sigh that spoke clearly of superiority, and then the sound of a door slamming closed.

There was a very long silence in which Andy drifted off to sleep again. She was pulled out of her foggy haze, however, when footsteps neared her bed. When she spoke, her voice was muffled. "I've quit the Quidditch team, and unfortunately it seems to be quite permanent, seeing as I won't join again until Wood stops being such an arse."

A squeaking noise issued from the bed as a weight pressed down on it, and there was a soft chuckle. "Really, Carrins, everyone knows that you're just going to come to practice tomorrow. You might as well not even bother pretending you're going to quit."

Andy pulled her face out of her pillow and glared at Wood. "How did you get up here? And what do you mean, 'pretending'? Last time I checked, I had quit very real-ly."

"Face it, Carrins. You're a pushover. Plus, you love Quidditch more than I do. Put those together and that equals Andy Coming Back Quite Soon," said Wood. Andy glared—more at the use of her last name than at the assertion that she was a pushover—and shook her head. Hearing him say all that had just cemented it in her head; Andy was quitting Quidditch until Wood behaved better. She felt rather like an activist, and it was quite empowering.

"I, Andromeda Carrins, shall not set foot on the pitch until you, Oliver Wood, agree to stop being such an arse all the bloody time. This I do hereby pledge and I shall uphold this pledge until its terms are met."

Wood scowled. "Andy, don't be stupid. We have a match coming up. You need to be there."

"And I will be," began Andy. Relief shone on Wood's face for a second and Andy felt almost bad when she went on. "as long as you stop being a prat."

"Damn it, Andy, I really thought I—" Wood shook his head. "You know what? Nevermind. The team may think that we need you, but I don't. I'm sure I can find someone much better than you before the match."

"The best of luck to you," Andy said calmly. The brunette's eyes narrowed.

"Get over yourself," spat Wood. He stood up angrily and straddled his broom—which Andy had somehow missed—before zipping down the staircase.

Andy felt a tug of something very much like guilt in her heart, but she ignored it, opting to go down to breakfast. She didn't think she'd be able to get back to sleep, anyway.

Things down at breakfast were immediately awkward. George and Fred wouldn't even talk to her; Angelina only said single word answers; Katie and Lee were too busy chatting to pay attention to her; and Alicia was more than a bit nervous talking to Andy if the jumpy looks she kept sending the twins were any sign.

When Wood sauntered in with some brunette on his arms, things only got worse. First, it was Angelina commenting on the fact that Wood never dated brunettes, and wasn't that _so _odd. It was true, but Andy didn't find it particularly important. He'd just made it through all the blondes in the school.

Next, were the lecherous looks Wood kept giving the brunette. She looked vaguely uncomfortable about the whole thing, but also curiously unaffected by Wood. Another fact that Angelina pointed out. This time, Wood didn't bother hiding his irritation. Andy figured she probably would too, if someone insinuated that her boyfriend didn't seem to fancy her. (Though of course, she was _not _siding with Wood.)

"Bugger off, Johnson, will you? I happen to _like _Amanda," he growled. At this, Angelina's eyebrows nearly disappeared from her head altogether.

"I'm sorry, but isn't it _Mandy_?" Katie asked curiously. And now that Katie mentioned it, Andy was positive that the girl's name _was_ Mandy—Mandy Brocklehurst the Ravenclaw, to be exact—which she assumed Katie and Angelina thought Oliver had forgotten, if their snickers were anything to go by.

Mandy didn't look particularly disturbed by the whole thing. In fact, she looked rather curious, as if she were studying some kind of Potions project. _List three things you have observed about Gryffindors. One, they are excessively chatty. Two, they are easily amused. Three, Andromeda Carrins is obviously the most brilliant out of them all._

Well, perhaps not the last one.

"If you could stop acting like sprogs for just a moment," began Oliver, teeth gritted so tightly that Andy thought briefly that it must hurt, "then we could have a proper team meeting. We do have a game against Ravenclaw coming up, if I remember."

Katie mimed zipping her mouth closed, and Angelina merely rolled her eyes. "If we must."

Oliver began speaking, and Andy was listening quite attentively, when Oliver's eyes flickered over to her and he sneered. "Obviously you've forgotten, Carrins, but you aren't _on _this team anymore."

Andy felt her cheeks flush. He was such a _prat_! "Unless I've been gone longer than I thought, Lee isn't on the team either. Or Mandy."

"Yes, but they, unlike you, have not just abandoned our team," said Oliver, "And they, unlike you, are actually wanted here. So bugger off."

Andy gritted her teeth. "And Mandy, unlike me, is a _bloody Ravenclaw_. Obviously _you've _forgotten that the tactics you're discussing right now, in front of said Ravenclaw, are going to be used against the—oh look, who'd have guessed it?—_Ravenclaw _team."

Oliver stood, palms flat against the table. His face was flushed, and his ears were stained red. "Yes, but Mandy, once again, unlike you, can actually be trusted to follow through on things. Like say for instance, if she were to be a Seeker on her house's team, she wouldn't quit the week before a very important match," he hissed.

Andy recoiled as if slapped. "Well maybe if you weren't such an utter _git_, people might actually want to stay on your team."

"We don't want slags on our team, anyway!"

"Woah!" said Fred, holding up a hand, "Take it back a bit there, Wood."

"Yeah, man, that was _not on_," said George.

Andy ignored them. "A slag? How in the world am _I _a slag. Are you sure you aren't just getting me confused with one of your never-ending supply of girlfriends—No offense, Mandy—?"

"None taken," Mandy said mildly. It was nearly lost in the roar of blood through Andy's ears, but she managed to send a quick smile to the small girl.

"You chose your boyfriend over our Quidditch team," said Oliver. He sneered again. "Though seeing as you _are _you, I can see where you'd need to latch on tightly and never let go once you actually got someone to look at you twice."

Andy felt prickling in the back of her eyes, and she was _not _going to cry, damn it! So, she did the next best thing and slapped Oliver as hard as she possibly could, smug for just a second when the impact of it rang out. Then, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the Great Hall, cursing Oliver in her mind as loudly as she possibly could.

_He is such a bloody _git!

* * *

_**Author's Note: Yay! I've updated! What a miracle! Now if I could only get to work on the others...**_

_**Well, Oliver and Andy are bickering. Again. Who would have guessed it?...Oh, all of you then? **_

_**And now...it's that wondrous time...yes, folks, you've guessed right...!**_

_**IT'S TIME FOR ME TO HARP AT YOU TO REVIEW!**_

_**YAY!  
**_


	7. Andy is Booted Out!

_**Andy's Third Year—Oliver's Fourth Year**_

_The wind rushed through her hair, and Andy thought, briefly, that this was how it was supposed to be. Nothing to disturb her but the sun and the wind and the exhilarating feeling that one wrong move could land her on the far side of pancake-dom._

_She went into a dive, vision narrowed to the small strip of land that could end up being her downfall—and wasn't that a clever pun?—eyes watching it carefully, knowing that pulling up just in time would feel better than anything._

_And then her concentration broke. "Andy!" a voice called, and she turned her head fractionally to see who it was. Disaster struck, then, in the form of a second of miscalculation. If only the boy had called later. If only she hadn't looked. If only, if only, if only._

_When Andy awoke, she was in a red haze. Her mouth was dry and tasted faintly of Skele-gro, the bitter taste familiar after being in Quidditch for nearly two years._

_The voice called to her again, "Andy!" and then arms were wrapping themselves around her, and she was wincing. The arms didn't seem to notice._

"_Oliver, w'happened? And why'm I in the Infirmary?" asked Andy, her voice thick with thirst. Oliver pulled back a little, mouth gaped open just barely._

"_You don't remember?" he asked incredulously. Andy thought hard—until her brain felt like it would explode—before shaking her head slightly._

"_I just remember a lot of pain."_

_Oliver winced. "It's all my fault," he said miserably, "I didn't notice that you were diving, because I'm a git, and then I distracted you and you hit the ground."_

_Then, Andy remembered, and she cursed herself. What had she been thinking? She was trained not to lose concentration when performing a dive. She knew better than that! She was so busy berating her, actually, that she didn't realize the arms had stiffened around her._

"_Oh, Merlin, you hate me, don't you?" he whispered. "I am such an idiot!"_

"_Of course I don't hate you, you great sod," said Andy. She shrugged Oliver's arms off her and looked him in the eye, "It's not like I could ever hate you. You're my best mate."_

_And even though Andy wouldn't be able to play Quidditch for the next two weeks, and she had a broken arm and three broken bones in her legs, Oliver's responding grin was bright enough to light up the room and make her feel like she was invincible.

* * *

_

_I hate him_, thought Andy. _I hate him, I hate him,_I hate him!

Andy flung herself down into an alcove nearby. She stared heatedly at her feet, wondering why in Merlin's name she had been stuck with the world's greatest _sod_for a best mate. Why couldn't she be best mates with Katie, or Angelina, or Alicia?

_Because they don't need you._It was fairly common knowledge—at least in Gryffindor—that while the Quidditch team was like a giant family, they were split up into pairs. It was Angelina and Alicia; Katie and Lee; the twins; and Andy and Oliver. It wasn't anything verbal—they'd just ended up like that. The pairs got along best, it seemed, and no one ever protested.

Andy felt like protesting.

Suddenly, footsteps approached, and when Andy looked up she was rather surprised. Strangely enough, it wasn't any of her teamma—friends that came to get her, but Wood's new girlfriend. The short girl—whom Andy couldn't remember anything about other than that her last name was Brocklehurst—caught up with her just outside of the Great Hall. She sat on a ledge near Andy and swung her legs quietly.

"Look," began Andy, "if Wood sent you out here to apologize for him, or, I don't know, insult me for him, or whatever, I don't want to hear it. He can grow some bollocks and talk to me himself."

"Actually, I don't think any of them even noticed that I left," the girl said cheerfully. "They were fighting something awful."

"Oh," said Andy. "So, then what are you doing here?"

"Well," said Brocklehurst, "You seemed upset."

"No kidding," muttered Andy. "But why did _you_follow me out here? I mean, we aren't exactly friends."

"That's true," agreed Brocklehurst, "but no one else seemed to be coming, so I thought it might be nice if I did. Was it?"

Andy wanted to get mad at the girl, but she _was_right. None of her friends even cared enough to come after her. Sure, they were fighting for her, but they were all so enamored with fighting that they'd have done so for anyone.

Brocklehurst stared intently at Andy. "You know, I was a bit confused this morning when Oliver told me that I was his new girlfriend. I would've probably refused, only I've never actually had a boyfriend and I figured this would be a good source of information. You can only learn so much from a book, you see. Only, I'm quite sure that I never want to have one again."

"But don't you like Wood?"

"I'm not seeing any reason to, really. I only find him marginally good looking, and his personality certainly leaves much to be desired," said Brocklehurst.

"Yeah, but he's ace at Quidditch, and he's rather funny when he isn't being a jerk," said Andy, "Plus, he's got that really intense look that he gives you where it feels like you're the only one in the entire world he actually sees."

Brocklehurst looked faintly amused. "If you fancy him so much, why don't you date him?"

"What? Oh, Merlin, no!" Andy laughed. "Wood's my mate. It'd be like dating a brother." She scowled when she remembered. "A very annoying, git-faced brother."

Brocklehurst just _hmm_-ed. "I'd tell you that Oliver didn't mean it, only I'm very good at reading people, and he seemed rather insistent."

"Yes, thank you, I understand that Wood thinks I'm a giant slag." Andy slid out of her alcove. "And as much as I appreciate being reminded of that, I think I'll be going back to my dorm to get my things."

She'd begun walking when Brocklehurst stood up. "Only, there's something I haven't said." She looked rather troubled. "You see, I'm not sure you're going to like this, but Oliver has said he's chosen a new Seeker. I gleaned that you used to be Seeker, so I decided this information would be helpful to you. Was it?"

Andy was too shocked to speak. Her stomach had plummeted down to Slytherin, surely, because why else would it feel that bad?

She'd thought that Wood would protest a bit, and then eventually give in because there wasn't any way for him to find a new Seeker in less than a week. But he'd found one in less than a day. He'd replaced her and soon this new girl would be his best friend, and she'd have already taken Andy's spot on the Quidditch team, so taking Andy's friends away from her would be a cinch.

Andy, feeling more alone than she ever had in her life, fled to her dormitory, leaving a smug Ravenclaw alone outside the Great Hall.

* * *

_Author's Note: Oh no! Who has Oliver replaced Andy with? And why is Mandy smug? AND WHY IN MERLIN'S NAME DOES ANGELINA LIKE TO WEAR MEN'S SKIVVIES? Erm...I mean...uh...stay tuned for the next installment? Eheh, that's awkward._

_Much love, and faster updating, will come if you review!_

**Edited to add year of flashback.**


	8. Andy's Ego is Bruised!

Disclaimer: Not mine.  


* * *

Andy angrily stormed up to the tower and grabbed her broomstick from where she'd placed it under her bed. Without stopping to think, she straddled it and sped out the window, prepared to fly until she was too exhausted to want to attack Wood.

It started out rather well, actually. With the wind whipping through her hair, and the fierce concentration she paid her flight, she wasn't able to think about much. Unfortunately, someone had to come and disrupt her.

The utter git himself flew up beside her. "Look, Andy, I realize that you're…upset, but—"

"_Leave me alone, Wood!_" hissed Andy. She sped up, but, although it was obviously a struggle for him, Wood caught up with her.

"Look, Angelina says—"

Andy turned to look at Wood and spat out, "Damn it, Wood, I do _not _want some half-arsed apology that Angelina came up with you, and I'm not going to accept that you're an arse just so I can play Quidditch, so just _leave me alone_!"

"Damn it, Andy, I realize I wasn't exactly kind back at breakfast, but I'm sorry, alright? I didn't mean any of it," he said.

Andy let out a harsh laugh. "First off, you obviously did mean it, and second? I'm not mad about that, you prat!"

"Well then, what the bloody hell are you mad about?"

Andy veered sharply, hoping Wood would leave her alone. He didn't. "I'm bloody mad because you already have a replacement for me!"

There was a quick intake of breath, and Andy was certain that if Wood had been on the ground, he would have stopped short. As it was, he lost his momentum, and it was a few moments before he was next to Andy again. "Are you serious, Carrins?" he asked incredulously. "Are you seriously mad because I was forced to find a replacement after _you _quit? We have a game next week, which means I bloody well need all the time I have to train a new Seeker."

"I'm not a complete git, you know! I'm not mad because you picked someone else!" exclaimed Andy.

"Well then what exactly are you mad about?" asked Wood. He was shouting now, but Andy didn't know if that was because of the wind or because he was genuinely angry.

"I'M BLOODY PISSED THAT I'M OBVIOUSLY SO EASY TO REPLACE!" yelled Andy, and then she made a sharp U-turn that even Wood couldn't follow and flew back to her dorm.

She spent the rest of her Sunday furiously finishing homework—something she rarely did—and chatting with Ron Weasley.

After a quarter hour of joking about his brothers, they segued into Quidditch. Ron's favorite team was the Chudley Cannons, and he was in awe when he learned that two of Andy's cousins were on the team.

"Merlin," he breathed. "I think I'm in love with you."

After Andy laughed, Ron readjusted himself on the couch until he was sitting on his haunches. He looked up at Andy eagerly. "So, what's it like being on a Quidditch team?"

"It's bloody brilliant!"

"Really? Then why did you quit?" asked Ron. He looked entirely too innocent for his own good.

"Well, the captain is an arse, which is something you wouldn't have to worry about if you joined next year," said Andy.

Ron blinked owlishly before sighing. "Well, it's just too bad that you wouldn't be on the team, then."

"What do you mean?" asked Andy, frowning.

"Isn't it true that if you quit the team one year, you're automatically disqualified from being on it again the next year?"

Although she felt a sickening pressure growing in her stomach, Andy narrowed her eyes. "Did your brothers ask you to talk to me about this?"

For another second, Ron kept up the innocent look, but then he sighed and turned towards the boy's stairs. "I _told _you this wouldn't work, Fred!"

There came a grumble from the stairs, and then the twins stumbled down and over to Andy and Ron. There were identical glares on their faces.

"_Ron_," whined Fred, "did you have to just give it away like that?"

"Yeah," said George, "how hard is it to lie?"

"Well, unlike you, I shouldn't have been sorted into Slytherin," growled Ron. He crossed his arms sullenly. "You guys are gits, and I'm going to bed!"

"It's only five o' clock," Fred pointed out.

"I WAS POLITELY TELLING YOU GUYS THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO BE AROUND YOU ANYMORE, YOU GITS!" yelled Ron. Then, he promptly stormed upstairs and slammed the door behind him. Andy felt very much like mimicking him.

Unfortunately, Fred and George were pinning her down with their stares.

"Andy," began Fred, "even if you do hate Wood, you don't hate us, do you?"

"Yeah, Carrins. It isn't just him you're hurting here. Even though we tried to get Ron to guilt you back into Quidditch, what he told you wasn't a lie. And besides that, we have a game this week, and, although I'm sure you don't know very much about Quidditch, it's impossible to win without a Seeker."

"You don't have to worry," said Andy, trying and failing to keep the bitter note out of his voice. "Wood has already found a new one."

Fred snorted. "You mean that blonde chit? Please, Oliver's wanted her on the team for her ability with a very different sort of ball entirely."

"Eh, four out of ten for that innuendo, Fred," said George. "A Snitch isn't really a ball. It's more of a round winged thingy."

"Hey!" protested Fred. "I thought it was pretty good!"

"I gotta side with George on this one," said Andy. "It was pretty weak."

"Oi! No ganging up on the ginger!" cried Fred. He shook his head. "Besides, weren't we supposed to be ganging up on Andy?"

"Ah, yes, too true, my twin," said George. He turned back to Andy with a decidedly more serious look on his face. "Really, though, we need you back. Oliver made us practice today."

"Today? But it's a Sunday."

Fred gave Andy a pointed look. "Which is exactly why you need to come back, obviously. Before you left he was too busy fighting with you to even think about having practice on Sundays."

"A thousand galleons that this new bird won't argue with Wood _at all_," said George. "I mean, today at practice all she did was giggle inanely whenever Wood talked to her."

"I know! She's such a _girl_," said Fred. "No wonder Wood picked her."

"Wait, she's been to practice already? What's she like?" asked Andy. "I mean, is she any good?"

Fred and George exchanged a look. After a pregnant pause, George cleared his throat and spoke. "Well, she isn't you, Andy, but she isn't exactly pants at being a Seeker, either."

"What my obviously less talented twin here is trying to say is that there's no chance that Wood's going to come begging at your feet because the new girl is so bad," said Fred. He frowned. "She'll do, and she might even win us the game, but Andy, once she's in, she's _in _and there's no way in hell you're getting back on the team then. If you want back in, you have to come now."

"I can't just come back, you guys, you _know _I can't," protested Andy. Fred and George exchanged another look before each nodded resignedly and stood up.

As they began their walk to the stairs, George stilled. He turned back and faced Andy, his lips pursed. "You know, I really never knew you were this selfish. I think maybe we didn't know you quite as well as we all thought we did."

And then both the twins were gone, leaving Andy alone in an empty common room, feeling like she'd been punched in the stomach.

* * *

Author's Note: Yay! More ficcage! It's quite late where I am, so if there's something utterly wrong with this fic, it'd be brill if you'd let me know. I _think _it ought to still be Sunday, but who really knows? Perhaps it changed to Wednesday while I wasn't looking.

I dunno...I think perhaps none of this is actually funny when you aren't reading it at 1:30.

Ah well, I'll post anyway and hope no one notices...er...what's that over there?

*runs away*


	9. Andy is Baffled!

Disclaimer: Not mine.  


* * *

The next two days passed like quicksand. The team rarely talked to her, and when they did it was nothing like it had been before. They were constantly wary, always looking over at Oliver and leaving whenever he seemed to get upset.

That was another problem; Oliver's anger. It got to be so bad that Oliver would yell at _Katie _when she tried to wave at Andy. _No one _yelled at Katie; even though the twins were her age, Katie was still the baby, and _everyone _knew that.

It was around the end of the second day, and by this time the team's patience had worn thin. Andy was just marching over to Oliver to tell him off when Lee Jordan who, along with the twins, was standing by Katie punched Oliver right in the face.

Within a few seconds Oliver had jumped Lee, and the two were wrestling about on the ground, fists flying. And that was when Andy knew that whatever she had been thinking before, things had changed. It was completely idiotic of her to believe that her plan could work.

She would have gone over right then and announced her desire to rejoin the team, only a crowd had gathered around the pair, and Professor McGonagall was striding over to them. Sure, she knew Lee didn't deserve detention, but Andy couldn't help but feel a little vindicated at the thought of Oliver getting punished.

The thought kept her happy all throughout Transfiguration. Angelina and Alicia, who always sat just beside of her, kept giving her odd looks, but Andy ignored them, reveling in her blissful mood. She deserved to have a bit of happiness before being forced to endure Oliver again.

During lunch, Mandy the Ravenclaw came up to Andy and asked her if she'd like to be her partner in Charms. Andy, too stunned to say no, agreed. Then, as if sensing that Andy would back out if she stayed around, Mandy skipped off, and Andy didn't see her again until very near Charms time.

She was in the corridor, hurrying to Charms—she'd stopped to ask Katie how Lee was—and imagining how Flitwick would look if she were late, when she caught wind of a hushed whisper coming from a darkened corridor next to her. She hesitated at first—because obviously the corridor was dark because it wasn't used, and it stood to reason that whoever was down there was up to no good—but she had Prefectular duties, and if she happened to be late now, she could tell her professor that she was just doing her job.

However, she'd only gotten a few steps in when she recognized one of the voices. She still couldn't see anyone, but it was most obviously Mandy the Ravenclaw who was talking.

"Mandy?" asked Andy. The voices stopped, and then footsteps came towards Andy. She pulled her wand out instinctively, but she needn't have. She'd been right before, and it _was _Mandy who came to her. Her cheeks were flushed and Andy wondered if it wasn't Oliver who was back there. But, no, that didn't make any sense, because it had been a _girl's _voice Andy had heard, and it hadn't been just Mandy's.

"What are you doing over here, Andy?" asked the Ravenclaw. Andy eyed her suspiciously, but soon decided that the flush she had didn't exactly inspire thoughts of snogging. Still, she looked like she'd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"I could ask _you _the same question," said Andy. Mandy laughed, and waved a hand

"I was just talking to a friend," she said.

"In a darkened corridor. An _abandoned_, darkened corridor. When you're probably about to get in trouble for being late to Charms." said Andy doubtfully. Mandy grabbed her arm and began walking out of the corridor.

"You're right; we really ought to be getting to Charms. Flitwick does get _so _distressed when someone is late."

As Mandy pushed her towards the Charms room, Andy caught one glimpse of the girl in the corridor. There was a flash of white blonde hair, and a single bronze ribbon, and then it was gone, and Andy was left trying to place that hair for the rest of the day.

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry this is so short, but I wanted to get this one out today, and I wanted to leave you wondering what exactly is going out with Mandy and the blonde!

DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNN!


	10. Andy is All Bluster and Bravado!

_**Disclaimer: Only Andy is mine-well I suppose Cassiopeia is as well...(but really, you can pretend she isn't. I won't mind).

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**_

**Andy's Third Year—Oliver's Fourth Year**

"_The giant squid is going to eat you!" Andy yelled at the idiot boy who thought that a midnight trip to the lake was a splendiferous idea. He merely grinned at her before stripping down to his skivvies and jumping into the water. Several seconds ticked by and Andy had just started running to save him, when Oliver's head popped up. He grinned again when he saw how close she was to the water._

"_What's the matter, Carrins? Afraid that you'd lost the most handsome and amazing man in your life?" he teased._

_Andy snorted. "Please; first off, no one can be handsome when their ribs stick out so far that they make_me _look fat. Second, if you ever call me Carrins again, I'll quit being your best mate, and no one else is quite idiotic enough to take the job."_

_Oliver pouted; Andy could just see the curve of his mouth in the pale moonlight. "Why are we friends again?"_

_Andy pretended to think for a moment. "What, you mean besides the mutual love of Quidditch? I think it's probably because we both have such amazing hair."_

_Oliver laughed—it was a loud sound in the stillness of the night. "That is true. Plus, we're the only ones genius enough to go for a swim in the giant squid's house."_

"_Pretty sure you're the only one swimming there, mate," Andy pointed out. She really should have realized what Oliver was planning, only she wasn't known for being superiorly bright. Which is why she was so shocked when a cold hand grabbed her ankle, and dragged her into the water._

_It was cold and murky beneath the surface, and Andy swore she could see one of the giant squid's tentacles reaching out to grab her before Oliver pulled her to the surface, spitting and spluttering._

"_Merlin, Andy, what the hell's the matter with you?" exclaimed Oliver. He dragged her over to the shore. "Can't you swim?"_

_Andy continued heaving out water, but said nothing. Oliver apparently thought the silence was a confession. There was only a moment's pause before he said, "Why in Merlin's name didn't you tell me?"_

_When Andy didn't answer again, Oliver ran a shaky hand through his hair. "Is this another one of those pride things? Because if it is, I'm going to have to kill you, you realize."_

"_I can't help it that I was raised by about a billion Quidditch players," muttered Andy, "It isn't my fault that they've given me a complex."_

_Oliver didn't speak, so Andy lay back on the grass, dangling her feet in the water. A few seconds later, Oliver followed suit._

_The tickle of grass against Andy's neck had nearly lulled her to sleep when Oliver spoke up._

"_You know, Andy, you have far too much pride to be an entirely good Seeker," he mumbled. When Andy sat up to reply, he had a dreamy sort of look on his face, like he didn't really know what he was saying._

"_And you are far too much of an egotistical prat to be a good captain," she replied in the most saccharine voice that she could muster. Oliver's eyes snapped open and he glared at her. She—barely—refrained from smiling smugly; she knew more than anyone how much he wanted to be captain the next year._

_Suddenly his face crumpled. "Do you really think I'm not going to get it?" he asked; his voice was barely even a whisper._

_Unfortunately, while Andy had entirely too much self-confidence, Oliver never seemed to have enough nowadays, and there was only so far one could get on bluster and bravado. He really hadn't been the same since Arthur._

"_Of course you're going to be captain, you git," she said fondly. "because not only are you obviously the most qualified in Gryffindor, you're probably also the most qualified in the entire school._

"_On a side note, if you ever tell anyone I said that, I'll deny it and tell them that you're just an egotistical prat."_

_Oliver laughed, and all was silent for a good long while._

_When Hagrid found them in the morning, they were given detention, but Andy couldn't find it in herself to mind. Sometimes, Oliver was a prat, and she doubted that he even considered her his friend, let alone his best mate._

_And then there were times when she wondered if she was his only real friend in the entire world.

* * *

_

Andy was quite probably going to die of humiliation before the day was over. Still, she'd promised herself she'd go back to the team, even if it meant getting down on her knees, and begging Wood for the position back.

Which, she reflected, as she made her way down to breakfast, she very well might have to. This feeling was only intensified when she found the entirety of her—_not yours anymore_, a little voice reminded her—Quidditch team apparently laughing at something their new Seeker had said.

She was a bit mollified, then, when Angelina quietly asked her if she thought Alicia was more bulldog-ish when defending George's honor, or just completely maniacal. So, the idiot girl had been flirting with George, then? Andy revised her previous statement—there was no way that the new Seeker would steal Alicia away from her now, and if she had Alicia, then she definitely had George and Angelina. _So, she won't be able to steal all of my friends, then, just Oliver. Not that Oliver's my friend. No, Oliver is just a prat. Er, wait, I mean_Wood _is just a prat. Merlin, I really need to quite talking to myself._

"So, Carrins, you're looking particularly morose this morning," remarked Wood, looking completely happy about it. Andy gritted her teeth and forced herself to smile.

"I need to talk to you, W—Oliver," she managed. He looked slightly interested, but then he shrugged.

"It will have to wait until later; I need to show Cassiopeia how to perfect a Wronksi Feint," he said. There were several things wrong with that sentence, not the least of which being the fact that Andy had just perfected a Wronksi Feint, so there was no way the blonde bint would. (Also, the name Cassiopeia? Not exactly stunning for a girl so dull.)

"But it has to do with that," said Andy. Wood fixed her with a level stare.

"I need to show my Seeker this, Carrins," he said slowly. "Frankly, I don't give a damn what you have to say."

Then, he grabbed the blonde bint's arm, and they were off to apparently the Quidditch pitch.

And Andy? Well, she was forcefully reminded that, although she was going to have to be fine with having Oliver as a captain, again, she was nowhere _near_friends with him.

She honestly doubted she ever would be that close to him again, the pillock.

* * *

_Author's Note: I am such a terrible person, I know, but RL got the best of me, and one of my friends is actually a complete pervert (not in the joking sense, unfortunately), and the ensuing drama of realizing that took up a GREAT deal of my time._

I know I don't deserve it, but reviews would be incredibly nice.

**Edited to add year of flashback.**


	11. Andy is a Nose Breaker! Kinda

**Disclaimer: Not mine, all Jo's, yada yada ya.**

* * *

Andy was—quite sullenly—walking to class when a hand pulled her into a darkened corridor, and another hand slapped over her mouth, apparently in an attempt to stop her from screaming. It probably would have worked, if Andy had been the kind to scream when scared. Unfortunately for her attacker, she bit him instead.

"_Merlin_, what was that for?" hissed a familiar voice.

"_Oliver_? What the _hell _do you think you're doing?" Andy hissed back. It was, as stated previously, incredibly dark, and if Andy wasn't so sure that was Oliver's voice, she'd be a little less pissed that she couldn't make out his ugly mug, and a little bit more scared.

"Resorting to Muggle epithets, Carrins? How crass," he said. It sounded like he was having trouble speaking, and then Andy realized he had his teeth clenched. She didn't think she'd bitten him that hard.

"Fine. Why in _Merlin's _name did you bring me in here?" she asked.

"I thought you wanted to speak to me?" asked Oliver, as if that were the most obvious thing in the world. As if he hadn't just dragged her into a darkened corridor against her will. What a _git._

"Yes," said Andy, because even though Oliver was a git, she didn't intend to be one. "I want back on the team."

There was a long silence—during which Andy decided that dark silences were infinitely worse than lighted silences—before Oliver spoke. "And what makes you so sure that the team wants you back on it?"

"Well, seeing as how every single one of you has asked me to come back, I'd hazard a guess that I'm right. Besides, you _need _me."

Oliver snorted, and Andy could almost see that insufferable hair flip that he always did when he thought he was being ace. "Cassiopeia is good enough. We don't need you."

"Really? Because from where I stand, good enough is _not _good enough," said Andy. "Or have you lost your drive to be perfect in the few days without me? It's understandable, really, seeing as without me you've lost the perfect bes—the perfect Seeker."

And obviously Oliver knew where she had been planning to go with that—she'd stopped because Oliver most certainly did not deserve her friendship back, yet—because the silence grew unbearably awkward.

Finally, Oliver spoke. "Meet me on the Pitch in fifteen minutes. We'll see whether you're as good as you think you are, Carrins."

Then, Oliver stormed out of the corridor, and Andy was left feeling pissed.

And rather alone, because even if Oliver wasn't her best mate anymore, it still killed for him to call her Carrins.

The git knew how much she hated it, and he would pay for that. She'd see to it that he'd never want another Seeker for as long as he breathed.

* * *

**Andy's Third Year—Oliver's Fourth Year**

_Andy hated when Oliver wasn't around. She always felt antsy, like there was something that she was supposed to be doing, but forgotten. It was even worse when she couldn't just head down to the Quidditch pitch to find him. She hated that he was home, and she hated that she was still at Hogwarts, but mostly she hated the reason he was gone. Arthur—_

_Suddenly, the portrait swung back, and Andy, who couldn't get to sleep and had decided to sit in the common room, looked up to find Oliver standing awkwardly in the shadow of the room. _

_Andy was on her feet immediately to go near him. If it had been any of her other friends, she would have easily enveloped them in a hug, but Oliver supposedly thought them stupid, and he'd never allowed any of his friends to hug him. So, Andy merely flitted about anxiously before pulling him down to sit next to her on the couch._

_Several silent moments passed before Andy whispered, "Do you want to talk about it?"_

_Oliver was on his feet in an instant, the heat of his glare worse than the enveloping warmth of the fire. "Why would I want to tell you anything, Carrins?"_

_And Andy had had enough. She'd been so damn worried for the past week—wondering how Oliver was, and if he was going to be okay, and if his parents were going to even let him come back—that his being an ass just did not compute. So, of course, Andy handled it in the only way that she knew how; she swung back her fist and punched him squarely in the nose._

_Oliver let out an unmanly squawk before toppling onto the couch and holding his hands over his nose. "I thin' you bro'e it!"_

"_Oh, Merlin, I'm so sorry, Oliver. It's just, I was so worried, and then you were being a prat and calling me Carrins, and you _know _how I hate that, and I'm so sorry!" cried Andy, frantically trying to remember anything about the first aid training one of her many uncles had given her. "Okay, just keep applying pressure. Uh, wait, no, let go for a second and let me see it."_

_Oliver eyed her suspiciously from over his hands before slowly removing them from his face. Andy leaned forward, examining the area. "Okay, so there's no blood, and it doesn't look to be swollen. Uh, it's straight? I guess? Or at least no more crooked than normal."_

"_If I end up looking like Dumbledore, and no one finds me attractive ever agaain, I'm going to murder you," said Oliver. Andy smiled faintly at the thought of Oliver with Dumbledore's nose—and the thought that anyone had found Oliver Wood attractive beforehand—before reaching out to gingerly prod the protrusion. _

"_Does that hurt?" she asked. Oliver winced slightly, but shrugged._

"_A bit, I s'pose. Not much. I don't think it's broken," mumbled Oliver. He let out a huge yawn before continuing. "At least I know that I don't have to worry about defending your honor; you'll do perfectly fine by yourself with that left hook."_

_At this Andy grinned and waggled her eyebrows lecherously. "Who says I have any honor to defend?"_

_Oliver snorted—which pretty much proved his nose was fine—and then nudged Andy. "You realize that if that's true then I'm going to have to murder someone. Best mate's duty and all that."_

"_Then I suppose I have to admit I'm lying," sighed Andy. "Darn you, Oliver, for revealing all my tricks."_

_Andy had been trying to lighten the mood, but all of a sudden Oliver was slumped against her, and his shoulders were shaking. Andy had only a brief moment of hesitation before grabbing him and holding him closely until the shudders resided._

"_I hate him," he mumbled into Andy's shirt. "He's an utter git and I hate him."_

"_Shh, I know," Andy whispered. They sat like that for a long time until Oliver's breathing evened out, and even then Andy didn't dare move. She stayed awake the entire night, listening for any changes that might signal that Oliver was about to wake up._

_Finally, when the first rays of sunshine filtered in through the windows, Oliver stirred. Andy closed her eyes, but she could feel Oliver's confusion. Then, he was extracting himself from her arms, and padding silently to the stairs. _

"_Thanks," he whispered, and then he was gone, and Andy went upstairs to get at least a few hours of sleep._

_They never spoke of that night, and Oliver never mentioned Arthur again. But at breakfast that morning, when Oliver unveiled his magnificent black eye, he entertained everyone with the tale of how Andromeda Carrins had punched him simply for calling her by her last name._

_(Eventually, when Andy told him just why she hated being called that, he promised never to do it again, but for weeks afterwards that was all he would use. It drove her batty. Which, of course, was why he did it.)

* * *

**Author's Note: What's this? A new chapter that comes **_**less _than a billion months after the previous? What a strange concept!_**

**_Alrighty, so I updated! Crazy, crazy, crazy! _**

reviews please?


	12. Andy is Blessed

**Disclaimer: Not mine, sigh.

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**When Andy arrived at the Quidditch pitch, Oliver was already hovering on his broom. He watched Andy silently as she geared up, which she found creepy, and slightly annoying.

"What, do I have something on my face?" asked Andy. Oliver blinked several times before glaring.

"This is no time for jokes, Carrins," said Oliver. "If you won't be serious, then you can just leave now."

Andy wanted to ask him what crawled up his arse and died, but instead she just gritted her teeth and swung onto her broom. "Fine. What exactly is it that you want me to do?"

Oliver proceeded to have Andy do about a billion feints that _she _knew that _he _knew _she _knew. She looped, and she dived, and she flew higher than probably was safe, and at the end of it, she was bruised—from clutching onto her broom, _not_ falling—and sweaty. Plus, she had to still her hands from punching Oliver right in the face like he deserved. As it was, her right hand was a bit twitchy.

"Well, you performed those…admirably," admitted Oliver and Andy held back a snort. Oliver ran a hand through his dark hair. "Look, obviously I know that you're a good Seeker, and you know that you're a good Seeker, but I can't take any chances. I have to know that you aren't going to quit the team the next time we have a—a spat."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that, seeing as I intend to keep our relationship strictly professional from now on," said Andy. Something angry briefly flashed across Oliver's face, but then he was nodding his head.

"That's probably for the best," he said, his voice flat with an arrogance that served to make Andy want to punch him even more. "I expect you to comply with the normal regimen for tomorrow's game. We'll meet in—" Oliver looked around thoroughly before continuing. "—_the room_ tomorrow, as usual."

Oliver was idiotically careful about keeping their plans from the other teams, and as such he forced every member of the team to go to a special room directly upon waking, and they had to stay there until game time. It was horribly annoying, and George or Fred always ended up playing some prank on one of the girls, but so far none of their plans had ever been leaked, so obviously it worked. Only the team was allowed to know where the room was, and no one on it was stupid enough to risk Oliver's wrath should he find out that they betrayed its location.

"Right," said Andy. She turned to go back to the locker room to change—and noted, surprised, that the sun was already starting to go down—when something hit her. "Wait, what about that other Seeker?"

For a moment Oliver looked uncomfortable—Andy knew that most other captains would just keep the girl as reserve, but Oliver hated that. He said that it just "inspired discord among the team" and that would be "counterproductive." "I guess she's off? She's only, what, a third year? Fourth? She'll have time to be Seeker after next year."

"I guess," said Andy. Then, she shrugged and headed to the locker room to change.

She felt a bit bad for the girl, even if she had taken Andy's spot. It would have to be bloody horrid to be kicked off the team knowing that it was because they wanted someone better than you. Still, Andy wasn't going to begrudge herself this spot. She had earned it because she _was _better—and certainly _not _because she was in Oliver's good graces, that was certain.

_Ah well, _Andy thought, as she wiggled out of her leathers_, S'not like she was on it for very long, really. And Oliver—loath though I am to admit it—is right. She _will _have time when I'm gone, but I've only got this year, and next, and then I'm out. Besides, it isn't _my _fault that I'm better than she is. Well…I suppose technically it is, but still, this is _my_ spot, and no amount of guilt is going to force me to give it up._

When Andy arrived back in the common room, freshly showered and slightly achy from the rigorous practice, there was some kind of commotion going on. Andy was tempted to join the fray, and possibly laugh at some bint being dumped, but then she realized that it was Oliver and the other Seeker, Cassiopeia.

Andy decided it was probably best to just go up to her room, and let everything blow over. Fortunately for her, in all of the hubbub, no one really noticed her sneaking up the stairs. _Un_fortunately for her, she forgot about the creaky fourth step, and she stepped on it just right—or wrong, really—so that the noise reverberated through the common room.

Immediately, Cassiopeia, who had been yelling at Oliver—something about her being better than Andy, what a _cow_—whipped her head around. When she saw Andy, Cassiopeia's mouth set into a furious line, and the blonde threw out one long arm to point at her.

"You…you will pay for this! Once I'm done with you, you're going to wish that you weren't shagging the captain to get special favor," she hissed, eyes narrowed almost comically. Then, she started stalking towards Andy.

Now, Andy wasn't a particularly cowardly girl—Gryffindor, after all—but she'd certainly had a long day, and it's not completely gutless for her to have fled up to her room and locked the door so the crazy witch couldn't get her.

Okay, it really is, but, come on, give her a break. Cassiopeia had nails that you could carve metal with. You would have run, too.

* * *

_Author's Note: Tada! Now, for those who think Andy's return is anticlimactic-which, granted, it is-do not fear! There will be plenty of drama in upcoming installments. Let's just say that this isn't the last we shall see of Cassiopeia. Also, don't be surprised if a certain Ravenclaw, and a certain blonde have something up their sleeves!_

_Reviews would be lovely:)_


	13. Andy is Always Butting In!

Disclaimer: Not mine, no offense intended.

* * *

"Bugger. Bugger. _Bugger!_" Andy rubbed a bleary fist over her eyes. She knew she'd woken up for a reason, but she couldn't seem to remember what that reason was. Then she noticed Alicia, Angelina, and Katie standing in front of her bed, facing the opposite direction

"What are we going to tell her?" asked Katie, her voice more high pitched than normal. Andy sat up, wondering what was wrong. Katie only reached that height when something had gone wrong, or she was lying.

"I have no _bloody _clue," exclaimed Angelina. Then, in a quieter, more resigned voice. "She's going to cry, isn't she?"

"Well, I don't know about tha—yeah, she's going to cry," said Katie. There was a sigh, then Alicia made a sort of gesture—Andy couldn't see what, because they were all standing so close together.

"Might as well wake her up now, eh?" said Alicia. There was a noise of assent from Katie, and then the three of them began moving towards Andy's bed.

And suddenly Andy knew exactly what they were talking about, because there, leaning up against the wall like some kind of horrible nightmare, was Andy's broom. It was in at least ten pieces, and there were gouge marks all over it, like someone had taken a knife to it.

Andy's entire world narrowed down to that small section of the room that held her most prized possession, and she scrambled out of bed to kneel next to it. For several seconds, Andy just cradled the pieces, hoping that she was still dreaming; hoping that they were big enough pieces so that she could charm it back together.

Andy had gotten her broom when she first decided to try out for the Gryffindor team. It had been a gift from her father, and even though several family members had offered to replace it since then, Andy had never given the offers a second thought. Her broom was perfect for her.

As Andy stared down at the splintered pieces in her hands, all she could think was that _this _was her broom. _This _was the only reason she was a good flier. She knew this broom like it was a friend and it was so perfectly attuned to her that the thought of trying to fly any other broom made her veins turn to ice.

"Who did this? How—it wasn't even in here. It was in our locker! How—?" Andy turned to her friends, searchingly. "How?"

"Oliver went down to the Pitch early to fly a bit before the game, and he found this strewn across the locker room. He said that he'd tried everything to fix it, but he thinks whoever did this took pieces with them or did something to alter it, because nothing worked," explained Alicia. She had a pitying look in her eyes that made Andy want to scream. Andy didn't want pity, _damn it_, she wanted to find whoever did this and feed them to the Giant Squid!

Andy wanted to yell; she wanted to curse and scream and cry, but all that came out was, "How am I going to fly today?"

Angelina and Alicia exchanged a look, but it was Katie who spoke. "My little sister's on the Hufflepuff team, so I'm going to finagle her into letting you use hers. It's not going to work for you as well as—well; it will be loads better than the school ones, at least."

Andy nodded; she stared wistfully down at her broken broom for several seconds before picking up all the pieces and dumping them onto her bed. When she turned back to look at her teammates, they were staring apprehensively, as if they thought Andy was going to go loony. She wasn't—even if that _had _been the most absolutely perfect broom; it was just a broom, really. As long as she could still play in the game—

"Of course!" cried Andy. When Angelina cocked her head and raised an eyebrow, Andy explained. "It was obviously Cassiopeia who did this. I mean, she's the only one who would have had access to the locker. And she probably thought that she if she did this, she could play in my stead."

Angelina shook her head. "Oliver didn't tell her the incantation to open the locker, yet. That's what his first thought was too, so he asked us if we had told her, but—"

"—but none of us really thought you were gone for good, and we weren't going to become all buddy-buddy with her if we could help it," finished Alicia. Angelina and Katie both nodded.

Well, that left Andy stumped. She'd been so sure it was Cassiopeia. There wasn't anyone else she could think of that would want to do this. Andy said as much out loud, and Angelina gave her a dubious look.

"But what about that girl you yelled at during Potions? Oh! And that third-year that you made cry a few months ago?"

"Yeah, and there was that Prefect that you yelled at until she promised not to take points when you got in that fight with Oliver last month," said Alicia. Katie nodded vigorously, and seemed about to open her mouth, but Andy held up both hands.

"Can we save Bash-Andy day for some other time? Because I really need to practice with your sister's broom before the game, and Oliver only allows us to roam free until after lunch," said Andy. Katie smiled apologetically at Andy, and began backing up.

"I'll just go get it then, shall I?" she asked. Without waiting for an answer, she fled the room. Andy turned back to Angelina and Alicia to ask them what had crawled up Katie's bum, but when she did they were giving each other a look again.

"Oi, what's up then? Something else horrible happen? Did Dumbles announce that the world was ending? Or—no! Did Angelina finally admit that she fancied the pants of Fred?" asked Andy, her voice rising in mock horror.

Her jibe hit home, apparently, because Angelina glared and ducked her head slightly before mumbling, "I do not fancy that prat!"

"Of _course _you don't, Ang, but that isn't the point here," said Alicia. She placed a hand on her hip. "The problem that we have is with you and Wood, Andy."

Andy held up a hand. "There's no problem anymore; Wood and I agreed that being mates and having him as my captain were mutually exclusive. I decided that I liked Quidditch more."

"_Right_," said Angelina, her voice laced with dubiousness. "But that wasn't exactly what we meant. We're talking about this thing with you and Wood."

"What thing with me and Wood? What the bloody fuck are you talking about?" asked Andy. Now it was Angelina's turn to smirk. Any previous embarrassment was obviously over; Andy cursed internally—generally any mention of her obvious crush on Fred was enough to put Angelina out for at least ten minutes.

"Face it, Andy, you 'fancy the pants off' Wood, and he feels the same way," said Angelina. "It's been obvious to everyone on the team for ages, and it's quite likely that everyone in the entire school knows as well."

"Yeah, and you know what Andy? We—the team, that is—are getting bloody tired of waiting around while you two do your little sexual tension song and dance," said Alicia. Her smirk mirrored Angelina's. "If you don't shag already, there's no way that we'll win the Quidditch _or _House Cup."

Andy stared at her friends for several seconds before letting out a burst of laughter. And then another. And then another, until she was clutching her stomach because she was laughing so hard that it ached. Finally, when Angelina let out a pointed cough, Andy stood up, wiping her watering eyes.

"I cannot believe you two are so daft, but what you've so idiotically labeled as 'sexual tension' is known to most sane people as _animosity_," said Andy. She let out another chortle. Angelina and Alicia did _not _look impressed.

"Right, which is why you guys can finish each other's sentences—"

"Fred and George do that all the time! What, do you think they need to shag as well?" asked Andy. "Because that's pretty sick if you do, I have to tell you."

Angelina continued on as if she hadn't even heard Andy, "—and constantly crack jokes that are only funny to you, and can never stand who the other person is dating."

"Oliver has this ridiculous notion that when I date I spend less time focusing on Quidditch—so not true, by the way—and all of his girlfriends are bints," said Andy. She stared at her two hopelessly impaired friends and shook her head; her face was a study in condescension. "You two really need to stop reading into things so much. Now, I'm going to go down to the Pitch. Hopefully, I'll meet Katie on the way, but if I don't, could you tell her to meet me down there? Thanks."

With that, Andy left her dorm and headed down to the Pitch, leaving her roommates to stew. They were positive that they weren't imagining things.

And they were going to prove it.

**Andy's Third Year—Oliver's Fourth Year**

_The only reason Andy had even known about what happened to Arthur was because she was with Oliver when he got the letter. She was positive that if she hadn't been, Oliver would have left her in the dark just like everyone else._

_She'd met Arthur before, of course. He was quite the opposite of Oliver in many ways—while both were rather muscular and fit, Arthur was all golden skin and light red curls; a sharp contrast to Oliver's pasty hues and dark hair. But you didn't really notice all the differences until you talked to Arthur; he was kind and chivalrous, the epitome of a Gryffindor. Oliver was a Gryffindor, yes, but Andy wasn't around for most of it. She knew Oliver was foolhardy and reckless, but the chivalry he mostly left for his latest conquest, so she didn't see it much._

_The year previous had been Arthur's seventh year, and he'd taught Oliver and Andy how to play chess the "right way, not like those bloody cowardly Slytherin" as he put it. He'd been nice; hanging out with them even when his friends wanted to play Quidditch. Though later, Oliver said it was only because Quidditch was the one thing Arthur wasn't good at. Still, Andy preferred to think that he was just nice._

_Andy had always secretly thought that either Arthur or Oliver was adopted, because they were so incredibly different. Arthur, Andy sometimes thought, was the reincarnation of Godric Gryffindor himself. And Oliver? Well, Oliver was a sarcastic, annoying, stupid git with more ears than brains._

_Surprisingly enough, though Oliver and Arthur were so different, and despite even the four year age difference, the two brothers got along famously. Not as well as Fred and George, mind, but well enough that Arthur wrote twice a month, and Oliver had never been more proud than when he learned that Arthur had been accepted as a Hit Wizard._

_None of this had anything to do with why Andy picked up Oliver's letter after he stormed off without it. It was obvious to Andy—who'd received dozens of letters written on the same parchment when, inevitably, another one of her family members was sent to St. Mungo's for a usually Quidditch-related injury—that the parchment was from the Wizarding hospital. One of Andy's greatest flaws was her utter inability to keep her nose out of anything. That was why she read the letter, pure and simple._

Oliver won't even know as long as I finish reading before he gets back, _reasoned Andy. She didn't count on being unable to put it down after she'd read it, though._

_**Dear Oliver Wood,**_

_**At 00:20 Tuesday morning, a patient was brought to our facility. He was suffering from extensive Dark Arts related wounds, and was immediately transferred to our Spell Damages ward. On further examination, it was apparent that, while the spells that had injured him were not lasting spells, the damage that they left was.**_

_**Although there was no identification on the patient, your name and two others were written on a scrap of paper in his pocket. We have contacted you in hopes that you know this man, or know someone that does.**_

_**He is approximately 6'1, with red hair and brown eyes. He has a scar on his right cheekbone, and was wearing a golden ring on his left thumb.**_

_**Please respond immediately, or, if you are a relative of this man, make your way to St. Mungo's as soon as possible.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**Edward C. Garl**_

_**Hospital Administrator **_

_**St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries**_

_When Oliver came back down again, he was holding a bag in his hand; he stared unkindly at Andy. "I should have known that I couldn't trust you to stay out of my business."_

"_You're my best mate, you prat," said Andy, without any feeling. "Is this—I mean, it's Arthur, isn't it?"_

"_Of course it's Arthur. Who else would it _bloody _be?" spat Oliver. He sighed, then, and ran a hand through his hair. "Look, I'm going to go tell Dumbledore that I have to leave, and I probably won't be back for a while, so if you could just make up some story to tell the rest of the team? I—I don't think it's any of their business—or yours, but you already know, I guess—so just make it sound good, yeah? And tell Angelina that she's in charge of the team while I'm gone."_

_Though Andy was a bit miffed at being over-looked for the temporary captaincy, she nodded anyway. As Oliver turned to leave, Andy spoke. "Oliver…I'm sorry. For reading the letter and for Arthur."_

_Oliver left without saying anything, but then, Andy supposed there really wasn't anything to say. Oliver didn't return for a week, and when he did, he had nothing to say about what happened. But then, I guess you already know all about that.

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_

Author's Note: Is-is that what I think it is? An update? FOR REALS?

Yes, yes my incredulous friend, this is indeed an update (and quite a wordy one at that.) How are Angelina and Alicia going to prove this? Is it true (okay, that's rather obvious.) So, the real question I guess, is: DO ANDY AND OLIVER KNOW/THINK/GUESS/SUPPOSE/NOT KNOW IT'S TRUE?

And who broke Andy's broom? Was it Cassiopeia? Was it Mandy the Ravenclaw and her suspicious friend? Or was it someone else entirely?

FIND OUT SOON, I SUPPOSE!

Reviews = Love

(Though I suppose No Reviews =/= No More Updates, so do what you will.)


	14. Andy is Bemused and Blitzed

**Disclaimer: Not mine, sorry.**

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Andy was trying out the unfamiliar broom when she saw Oliver for the first time that day. She was practicing an upside down spiral, when suddenly Oliver was standing on the side of the pitch, watching her with an inscrutable expression. Andy coasted over to where he was and hovered just above him. He squinted up at her, and gestured for her to get down off her broom. Deciding that he _was _still her captain, Andy complied.

"What happens if I don't catch the Snitch today?" asked Andy. She felt that she flew alright on this new broom, but alright wasn't going to win any games, she suspected.

Oliver shrugged his shoulders. "Then, I guess we lose."

"Will you throw me off the team?" asked Andy, suddenly unable to look Oliver in the eye.

"Of course not, you prat," scoffed Oliver. "We just got you back; just because you can't perform without your broom doesn't mean we don't need you."

"Flattery will get you everywhere, Wood," said Andy with a smirk. Oliver gave her an odd look and shook his head.

"S'not flattery. It's just the truth." Andy stared at Oliver; he was acting odd. He rarely ever gave out compliments; and when he did, they were usually given out in some underhanded way. A compliment hidden by a mocking tone, or a vague insult. This Oliver was nice and incredibly not right.

"Well," said Andy, aware that she was still staring oddly at Oliver, "be that as it may, I have to get back to practice. So, unless there's something you need to say…?"

"There _is_ something that I wanted to talk to you about, actually," said Oliver. There was a weird pitch to his voice, and when Andy swiveled back to look at him, he had a hand on the back of his neck, and his eyes were nearly boring holes in her.

"Yeah?" said Andy, cautiously. Something was obviously up with him. Andy just hoped that he wouldn't try to talk to her about their friendship; she felt so vulnerable that she thought she might agree to whatever he said without thinking.

"We've been mates for years, you know, and even though you think I'm an arrogant idiot, and you make a huge production out of everything you do, I think we get along pretty well most of the time, right? This past week notwithstanding, obviously," said Oliver. Now, Oliver's cheeks were tinged faintly pink, and if Andy hadn't been standing right by him, she would have assumed it was chilly outside. Why the heck had she chosen to be friends with someone so odd?

"Yeah? Oliver, get to your point, because I'm really not seeing where you're going here," said Andy. Oliver let out a huff of breath before clasping his hands together and nodding.

"Right, so, here it is. I've been told recently that the reason I fight with you so much is because I fancy you, and it's, I dunno, sexual tension or whatever," said Oliver, who was now blushing fiercely, but when Andy opened her mouth to ask just what he was getting at, Oliver held up a hand. "Just wait a mo', okay? Anyway, I obviously thought they were crazy, because you're my best mate, and that would just be weird if I thought of you that way, you know? But I was thinking about it, and I realized that you're—you're pretty, and dead funny, and—well, a bit mad, but in an oddly good way, and I—I mean obviously I, I dunno, care about you, I guess. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I fancy you a bit, or maybe more than a bit, and I think that might be to blame for why I've been such a prat lately. So, I just wanted to put that out there as an explanation."

Realizing that she was just staring at Oliver, Andy managed to say, "I think that's just your natural state-of-being."

Oliver let out a laugh at that. "Yeah, that's probably true." There was a short pause. "So, I'm going to go prep the room now; I'll see you later?"

When Andy figured out that that was supposed to be a question, she nodded. "Yeah."

Oliver smiled at Andy, then, and gave a funny little wave before shoving his hands in his pockets and heading off towards the school. Andy just stared at him as he walked.

What in Merlin's name had that been?

After spending most of the day adjusting to her new broom, and trying to figure out if Oliver was being a prat or—

Well, needless to say that after spending so much on rather stressful things, Andy was glad to take some time off and go to lunch. She thought it would be a good time to talk to Oliver as well, but he was conspicuously absent. Coincidentally, so were Angelina and Alicia.

"I don't believe in coincidences," announced Andy as she sat down. Katie and Lee, who had been in the process of alternatively saying inane things and blushing, looked up quizzically. Fred didn't even stop eating to say, "Wha's the matter wi' you, Tiny?"

Sparing a second to glare at Fred for the nickname, Andy replied, "Have any of you noticed Angelina and Alicia whispering in dark alcoves or rubbing their hands together in fiendish glee?"

There was several seconds of silence before George spoke. "Andy," he began, looking as if he thought Andy was mad. "Are you insinuating that my girlfriend is having an illicit affair with Angelina?"

Fred began choking on his sandwich and had to be pounded on the back several times by George before he could speak. "What? When did this happen and why doesn't anyone have pictures of it?"

"First, you are such a pervert, Fred. Second, no George, I'm insinuating that Angelina and Alicia are plotting to ruin my life by way of Oliver Wood," said Andy. Fred didn't even manage to look properly chastised before returning to his food—though he did have a rather disappointed look on his face.

Just as Andy was beginning another dirty look for Fred, Katie began choking on her food as well. This time, though, it was Lee who helped her recover. "Merlin, what is wrong with all of you? How hard is it to chew properly? You should be used to doing this by now!"

"Wrong? Nothing's wrong, Andy! Whatever could you be speaking of? I certainly don't know anything at all about Oliver Wood or you, or Angelina and Alicia, don't be crazy!" said Katie, seconds before shoving both hands over her mouth and running out of the Great Hall faster than she'd ever run during practice.

"Well, she is just an _awful _liar, isn't she?" remarked Fred. Lee hit his arm, and then hesitated for a moment before reluctantly nodding.

"I think it's kind of sweet," he said. Both George and Fred made disgusted faces—though the effect of Fred's was somewhat diminished by a piece of bacon that hung from his lower lip.

"You are such a _girl_—no offense, Tiny," said Fred. "Have you even told her that you fancy her, yet?"

"Well, not in so many words, maybe," said Lee, looking anywhere but at Fred. Fred gave him a look full of pity, to which Lee just ducked his head. Was there something in the water, Andy wondered, because everyone was acting odd.

"Speaking of telling a girl you fancy her, is that something you guys would just do for fun?" asked Andy.

"Oh, did Oliver finally wise up, then?" asked George.

"I—what? Who said I was talking about Oliver?"

"What, you're saying that another guy recently told you that he fancied you?" asked Fred.

"Is that so hard to believe?" asked Andy. Then, something about Fred's words sunk in. "Wait, how did you know about that?"

"Oliver came in here maybe ten minutes before you did, whining to Ang about how he'd done what she said and it had turned out horribly," said Fred.

"And you were all upset about something Angelina and Alicia had done with Oliver," continued George.

"So, when you asked if telling a girl we fancied them was something funny for us to do, we deduced that Angelina had convinced Oliver to tell you that he fancies you, finally," finished Fred. Andy, though used to them finishing each other's sentences, was a bit dizzy after having to turn her neck so fast. She took a second to balance herself.

"We're very clever, you know," added George. Fred nodded vigorously.

"Right, so, wait, I mean, that is—what?"

"Clever. It's an adjective, Andy, pay attention," chided George.

"No, I mean…you knew Oliver fancied me? He wasn't just taking the piss?" If that was true—no, it couldn't be true, because that would be _wrong_. She and Oliver were meant to be best mates. Possibly they would be the godparents of the other's children, and on Saturdays they would leave their spouses at home to play Quidditch. _That wouldn't work if they were married to each other!_

Now, Fred and George exchanged a look—Lee having scurried off minutes before—and Fred leaned towards Andy. "You should go talk to Angelina. She's better at this nancy-boy stuff than we are."

Which is how Andy found herself traversing the castle desperately, trying to find Angelina so that she could try to make sense of her life. She was so busy fretting that she didn't realize that someone was behind her until they muttered, "_Stupefy_."

Then, Andy was hitting the floor, and blackness slowly swallowed her. She didn't even get a look at her attacker.

Andy's last thought was that she really had the most horrible luck.

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_Author's Note: Here it is! The latest installment! I'm thinking maybe two or three chapters left, people, and then this story shall be ended! After that, I'll probably take it down for a bit so I can tweak it all, and make it nice and pretty. So, that's all for today!_

_(Reviews = love!)_


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